My Grimm Adventures: A Reaper's Tale (Bleach SI)
by MillionAnts
Summary: This is the story of a soul reaper. Maybe not the greatest one. Not even a significant one. But it is his tale none the less. My take on a bleach SI. The point of this story is to explore the Bleach world in-depth using a less known, less significant character. Canon will be a major part of the story but this is not a Mary Sue fix-everything story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: New Genesis

Excited. Yeah that's the word. If I had to describe my feelings, I can't think of a better word to describe them than "excited". I am currently living the dream, granted it might be short lived, but I'll get back to that. I have been isekaid. One second I'm working on my most recent project, a wood burning of a geometrical fox, the next I'm waking up in a small Japanese style bedroom. It's a sparse room, no real decoration aside from a small working desk, a bed, a full body mirror, and a sword stand. If I survive, I'm going to have to change that. I've always preferred having my room thoroughly decorated. Generally, with my own works. Narcissistic though that may seem, I take pride in my works. Back to the point, I woke up as a character from one of my favorite series. Not a strong one or even a relevant one. But who cares, I can change that! I have a chance to go from being another face in the crowd to being a legend. Hell, I haven't even done shit yet and I already am a legend. I'm a fucking soul-reaper! What's not to be excited about?

_"__Would a legendary figure avoid the inevitable? No, regardless of their fears they would step forward and face anything in their way."_An androgynous and stoic voice spoke from a place that sounded distant. "_Can you achieve what you hope to while hiding away from me?"_

Bleach, one of the most interesting series I've ever seen, and I get to be a part of it. As a soul-reaper no less. In the series the soul-reapers were capable of so many amazing things. This is the chance of a lifetime. A chance to be so much more than I could have ever imagined. One I intend to fully take advantage of. There is so much I can do with this life. I have the potential to gain power both physical and political that most would never imagine. The beings of this world were capable of everything from pseudo-flight to denying reality itself! They have power that can alter the very environment around them. I'mma get me some of that. I'm going to aim for the very top. I will be one of the most powerful captains in Soul Societies history! I'm not just talking about physically powerful either. According to the memories of the original the captains have major political clout. Most government decisions in Soul Society are divided up by the clans, central 46, and the captains. Captains are basically military marshals and governors rolled into one. Each presiding over the various districts and granting ruling powers to the seated officers below them. For example, Captain Unohana oversees a cluster of districts that includes district 80, Zaraki. Which is where she met Captain Kenpachi Zaraki when he was a kid. Point being, there is so much for me to gain and achieve in this world I can scarcely believe it.

_"__So, you have decided upon your goal. One much higher than your previous one. Still and yet you hesitate to take your first step towards it. Remember the greater the goal the greater the obstacle. How will you reach such a lofty goal as 'one of the _most powerful captains' _if you do not even have the will to face your first obstacle?"_

Don't get me wrong, I loved my life and I'm going to miss it. I had a semi-happy family, a loving girlfriend, great friends, a good job, plenty of hobbies to keep me content, and more. I'll miss all of it. Especially my girl, out of the women I have date she was the only one I had ever fallen in love with. I didn't even truly believe in love until I met her. Hell, my last project was supposed to be a surprise gift for her. She loves foxes. But as much as I love and will miss her as well as everyone else in my life, I can't deny my excitement. I can't ignore the fact that despite how much I loved my life, it was boring. The most excitement I had ever really had was a handful of fights and fucking to my favorite songs. So, no matter how much I'll miss everything and everyone I'm fully committed to giving this world my all and achieving everything I possibly can in it.

_"__Fully committed? How can you think that while hiding away? Show me your commitment. Face me." _

Granted that's going to take a lot of time and effort. I'm starting from a rather low point. According to the memories of the original spirit of this body I'm basically a medic and custodian. I'm a branch member of a minor clan and have basically no influence. Even my position as an unseated officer of a division basically means jack considering I only have it based on my abilities as a healer and lacky. Oh, I mean custodian. And ain't that a bitch. I thought I was free of that title when I swapped from being a janitor to doing retail work as a teenager.

Regarding physical abilities, I suck. The original rarely trained with his zanpakuto and didn't even carry it around with him. How absurd is that? Even if this world wasn't wildly dangerous there is still the fact that a zanpakuto is an aspect of a person's soul. A sentient aspect of it at that. I'm never going anywhere without it. If I survive that is. The original barely had the basics of sword play and when I say basics, I mean he literally had the exact number of points necessary to get a passing grade in the academy. He could barely use shunpo to save his life. I mean that quite literally because he almost died in his first fight with a hollow struggling to use it. He wasn't even good at kido. Literal fucking magic at his fingertips and he never pushed himself to be proficient at it. He basically had no ability in kido outside of ones meant for healing. It's going to take a lot of work to get up to scratch. But thanks to the anime I already know that with enough effort there is almost no true limit.

"_Nowhere without it? You are doing everything in your power to avoid it. Are you that afraid? Does the thought of facing one whose significance you claim to understand scare you so much?" _

Take Ichigo for example, Ichigo went from a street fighter to a captain level threat in a matter of months. Although to be fair he did have a lot of factors in his favor that I don't. The primary one being that people were pushing for him to succeed and get stronger. He had support from his friends, Urahara, Yoroichi, some of the captains, and even Aizen while it suited his plans. I on the other hand only have myself to depend on. My family and loved ones aren't here to support me and the person I melded into was considered pretty much irrelevant by his own clan and family. He had no real friends, no love interests, not even a pet. The only one he had was his zanpakuto spirit and to be honest he kind of neglected it.

"_Do I truly have to explain to you what is wrong with these thoughts? From the blatant lie to the hypocrisy?" _

Another advantage Ichigo had that I don't was being alive. Spirits like me are apparently slow to change. Its why all of Soul Society still looks like the dark ages of Japan. Our incredibly long lives made even longer by reiatsu makes us complacent. Why do we need to change now when we have so much time to get to it? Ichigo on the other hand is very much alive and can change and evolve easily. It was part of what made him so strong. His living spirit could continue to grow as long as he was pushed to do so.

_"__You raise a fair point. Your memories of the series called Bleach show the results of Kurosaki's evolution. The persistent changes to his zanpakuto are proof of his evolution. All soul reapers are the same. Given enough growth they mentally evolve and their zanpakuto match them in a more physical manner. The greater the reaper's mentality changes the greater a zanpakuto's shape changes to match. I wonder how much your awakening will influence my form. Though I suppose we will never know if you continue to evade me. Come, if you have already discovered the procrastinating nature of Shinigami then you should know that to reach your goals you will have to avoid their folly. I say again. Come face me. Pick up my blade and face me." _

Getting back on point, although I'm excited about this chance I'm going to have to change a lot if I want to make my goal possible. Even my looks are contrary to my goal. In fact, I looked more intimidating as a human. I was a full-grown Caucasian with a height of 6'3", a full beard, broad shoulders, 250 some-odd pounds, strong brown eyes, slightly receding dark brown hair, and marked with multiple tattoos. Now I am an Asian kid with a height of 5'0", borderline body hairless, probably no more than 100 pounds, medium length black hair, soft blue eyes, and no body art to be seen.

Although if I have any say I'll be changing that last one. I've always loved tattoos. They're works of art that are always with you. What's not to love about that? I wonder if reiatsu interferes with tattooing. Renji had some, retarded though they looked, and he was a Lieutenant so it should be fine.

"_They do look quite ridiculous… Why on his forehead of all places?"_

I suppose the first step towards increasing my personal ability is improving my sword skills. Like I said, currently they are almost non-existent. I have only the basic stances memorized and a handful of techniques to go with them. I still have the texts from the academy so I can at least begin there. Although that's not going to be enough it will at least get me started. From there I'll have to begin branching out and learning other techniques. Hell, I can probably start using techniques from other series. For example, I can remember most of the techniques from the series Shigurui. The Kogan Style in the series had multiple techniques I could implement. The Nagare Boshi technique is something simple and yet effective enough for me to make use of. If I recall correctly the Nagare Boshi involves holding the handle of the sword between the index and middle finger of one's dominant and pulling back on the tip of the blade with the same fingers of the opposite hand. When one's opponent is within range one releases the fingers pulling back on the tip of the blade and swings forward with the other hand. The tension produced by the unusual grip causes the strike to act more like a whip than a slash. This stance causes an increase in both the range and speed of the strike. If I can master techniques like this then I can go from skill-less hack to deadly swordsman.

The next skill-based aspect I should work on is shunpo. Shunpo is one of the most critical skills that powerful people in this universe utilize and its clear why. It is a technique that allows the user to control both the pace and range of the fight. Fighting an opponent with a superior range? Shunpo into striking distance. Facing someone who is more powerful? Use shunpo to evade them until they are tired out and then again to position one's self in place to counterattack. I really don't understand why the original didn't put more effort into mastering the technique.

The next step on the list is Kido techniques. The original had memories of several that could be useful. Everything from shooting lightning to binding spells. Speaking of which, the binding spells are probably the ones that will be most useful to me. Why should I use energy to launch a fireball at someone when I could halt their movements and cut them down for a fraction of the power? Yeah, I think that's my best bet. From what I remember from the series Hanataro barely had the reiatsu to withstand that of those around him, let alone to shoot lightning from his fingertips. Even if I obtain a greater amount of reiatsu that doesn't mean that throwing it around willy-nilly is a good idea. Maybe I could recreate techniques from other series for a lower cost. If I could recreate techniques using pure reiatsu instead of Kido magic, then I could have effective offensive techniques without over taxing my reserves. If I combine that with restraining kido then I could be a pretty balanced fighter.

Although before any of that my first step towards changing and reaching my goal is confronting my or rather the original Yamada Hanataro's zanpakuto spirit, Hisagomaru. To be honest that's probably going to be the hardest part. I don't know how I arrived here, but I do know that I've basically supplanted, or body snatched Hanataro. I highly doubt that Hisagomaru is going to appreciate that or care that I didn't do it intentionally. And the fact that I'm excited about this and that I am already planning what to do as Hanataro is probably not going to help my case. He is Hanataro's fighting spirit. His power and protector. I'll be lucky if he just destroys me.

I'm under no delusion that his cutesy appearance and healing ability makes him peaceful. He's a zanpakuto. A blade literally made to cut souls. I can't think of anything more dangerous than a being whose sole purpose is combat. Hell, in other media I've seen characters like that and they're downright terrifying. Just take John Wick or Shirou Emiya for example. John Wick was a man so focused and dedicated to combat that he could kill a man with a pencil. A fucking pencil! Shirou Emiya despite being a supposed hero of justice had a soul aligned with blades and as a result was a monster that could stand up to heroes of legend. Hisagomaru isn't spiritually aligned with blades he literally is a blade spirit. How much more powerful and dangerous can I expect him to be?

Especially with his healing power. In fact, looking through Hanataro's memories of using Hisagomaru it looks less like he's healing and more like he's absorbing the damage to use for his own ends. That's fucking metal. And terrifying considering I might be on the receiving end of it. How do you even beat someone who can absorb all the damage you do to them and throw it back in your face?

_"__So, you understand my nature. Evidently better than you did before your awakening Hanatao-kun. You even acknowledge that facing me is the only means for you to achieve your goal. But still you hesitate. Consider what both of the men you contemplate have in common. Focus and resolve. John Wick and Shirou Emiya were both men of focus and resolve. They focused entirely on their goal and put forth insurmountable resolve to reach them. Will you be like them? Will you truly focus yourself upon your goal and have the resolve to meet it? If so, then why does your resolve waver at the mere thought of my name? You have your goal now gather your resolve and face me. Take up my blade, your blade, and face me."_

If I manage to survive hurricane Hisagomaru I guess my next step will be establishing myself within the Yamada clan. It kinda irks me that the clan is so dismissive of Hanataro. He might not be skilled in combat, but he is an amazing healer. Which is the clan's main source of income as it is. The Yamada clan runs a medical facility in district 75. One of several districts under the control of Captain Unohana. Although she mainly leaves its actual governing to her 7th seat. Regardless as I said the Yamada clan runs a medical clinic, one of two in the district. The other being run by the Yamada clans rival the Iemura clan. Despite the clan's medical focus and Hanataro's abilities the clan as a whole is rather dismissive of him. I can see why to a certain extent. Before I melded with him, he was extremely passive. He held no real ambition beyond joining the fourth division and serving under the Captain who made his clans mostly peaceful life possible.

"_Hurricane? While I like the analogy, it is inaccurate. I am merely a gourd. A vessel for your power waiting to be __**FULLFILLED**__. If only you would but take the first step."_

As a result, the clan put more of their focus on his cousin Sanosuke. Yamada Sanosuke is the current 12th seated officer of the 6th division under Captain Kuchiki. He along with the rest of the clan believe that his position will allow him to curry favor with the Kuchiki clan and improve our status. They seem to believe that he can pave a way for us to go from a minor medical clan in an irrelevant district to a clan renowned for being the main physicians to prominent clans like the Kuchiki.

Obviously, this plan has no hope. The clan just doesn't realize that there are to many factors preventing it from working. A prominent one being that there is no currying favor with Byakuya Kuchik. The man will literally help execute his own adopted sister if he thinks its his duty. You can't sway, bribe, or ingratiate someone like that. Another problem with the plan is that the noble clans would never stoop to letting a minor clan have the "honor" of being their medical caretakers. The plan is doomed to failure and if I want to succeed at my own goals, I'll have to raise my clan's status in another way.

I suppose the first step would be generating income. If I can produce an effective way for the clan to increase its wealth, I'll gain more standing within it and be able influence them away from their doomed plan. But that won't be enough. I'll need a concrete plan to grow the clan itself if I want to convince them. While we might not be able to ingratiate ourselves with the Kuchiki clan there might be others we can influence. The Kotetsu clan for example would be a great clan for us to work under. The Kotetsu clan is a major clan and one known for their medical expertise. My own clan views them as our greatest obstacle. If I am able to establish a relationship with them then our clinic could go from being a minor business to an offshoot of the Kotetsu clans' medical facilities. It shouldn't even be to difficult, several of their clan members are part of the 4th division. Including one of the clan heads daughters: Isane Kotetsu.

After the matter with my clan is settled or at least improved I'll have to focus on improving my own status within the division. If my plans for self-improvement come to fruition, then moving up in the division should come naturally. If not, then maybe I can use my newfound abilities to help the other division members improve their own. This would help me both establish myself as a member of importance as well as a leader within the division.

Hopefully I can accomplish all of this before canon kicks off. Speaking of which I currently have no idea how far off that is. I would assume that I have a great deal of time based on the fact that when canon started the original Hanataro was already the 7th seat of the 4th division. Considering that the only way he could have accomplished that was with hard work as a medic within the division it should have taken quite some time. If I am right about this, I should have sufficient time to prepare myself for the coming wars.

Once the wars commence my true work will begin. With the chaos and power shifts caused by the wars I'll have plenty of opportunity to establish myself as a power and begin spreading my influence. The captain positions are exchanged multiple times during the wars, and I'll use that to secure one of them for myself.

But before any of this I must deal with the matter at hand.

_"__Can I take that to mean that you are quite done?"__ "__Maybe." _I finally answered back.

"_Are you sure? I know that you love to avoid matters you find uncomfortable by escaping to your mind and imagination. Have you procrastinated enough? Maybe you need a few more hours to make more plans that we both know hold no meaning. How can you hope to achieve anything if you can't even take the first step? It's not like you haven't already learned your lesson about that, right. How much of your life did you waste away? How much time did you spend escaping to your 'happy place' instead of taking control of your life?"__ "I know already! You don't have to be such a dick about it! I learned my lesson about procrastinating years ago." _

_"__Did you? Then why am I here having to reexplain it to you? Will you return to your old ways as __**\- -?**__ Will you go back to jumping from one dead-end job to another? Will you go back to refusing to make meaningful connections? Wallowing in your depression. Or will you return to your ways as Yamada Hanataro? Wasting your potential. Hiding from any and all conflict. Embracing mediocrity as if it was your only choice. As if we didn't both know you were capable of so much more. If you learned your lesson from years ago then why are you still wasting time? You have your goal, now reach for it. _

_"__I did learn my lesson. I turned my life around. I quit my shitty job and found a career I was content with. I found friends there, ones who truly cared about me and whom I cared for in return. I got over my fear of heartbreak and found someone to love. I faced my family, and I can face you." "__Then waver no more. Pick up my blade and face me."_

Opening my eyes, I sat up from the bed I was resting on to face Hanataro's spartan room. I stood up and turned to his sword stand upon which rested an unassuming, undecorated katana. Hisagomaru. I reached for the sword and as I touched it the room around me disappeared.

_"__Finally."_

Notes and Thoughts

Welp if you made it that far through my disjointed bullshit then thanks lol.

I am not quite happy with the state of this chapter but there is no point in me rewriting it again until I have the experience with writing to truly fix it. My main issue with it is that it doesn't flow like I want it to. So, I just tried to focus on getting all of my thoughts written down for now and finding my own flow later on. Once I have some semblance of a flow I'll come back and edit this chapter to suit it.

This story is my own way of exploring ideas and concepts that I felt never got touched in Bleach. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. When fantastic worlds like Bleach are never explored to their fullest extent. I plan for this story to be focused on my interpretation of the world and how I would live in it as Hanataro Yamada. A character that I felt was much like the world. Unexplored. His zanpakuto's powers alone were fascinating and yet he was basically a side note of a character. Hell, he was more interesting than most of the captains and lieutenants.

While canon is going to be an integral part of the story, changing it will not be my focus. This isn't a Mary Sue fixes everything story. Its going to be about how I use the oncoming events accomplish my own goals. To be honest I am just not selfless enough to try and make the world a better place at the cost of my own desires and goals. That doesn't mean I won't be helping Ichigo and them it just means I won't be playing hero and problem solver for them. I think going about it this way will make for a much more dynamic and interesting story.

One thing I have always wanted from series is an actual story. Not the chosen one story, not the a hero has to save the whole world story, but a story about a characters life in an amazing world. That's what I am hoping to write. I absolutely loved Naruto and Bleach. Until they became chosen one stories anyways. I wanted to read about Naruto growing up as a ninja. To read about the crazy missions he went on and see how we would gradually get stronger and reach his goal of becoming Hokage. Instead I got cheated with a plain old chosen one story. Bleach was no different, even if they never used the actual term "chosen one".

Bottom line, I want to write the type of story I want to read. The story of some dude living his life, overcoming obstacles, and reaching his goals. All in an amazing fantasy world.

Not sure when I will post the next chapter, but I have already begun working on it. I hope you enjoyed this and thanks for your time. Peace.


	2. Chapter 2: Hisagomaru

Notes and thoughts

First, I want to say thanks for the interest and responses. This is my first real attempt at writing, and I appreciate any and all feedback.

Regarding the chapter… It gets a little dark. I feel that for a SI to be legit it has to get a little personal. As result I briefly touched on some of my less then stellar moments. Don't worry I don't intend to turn this story into an edge-fest. Generally speaking, it should be pretty lighthearted. It will have points of drama but that won't be the focus.

One issue I had with this chapter was the dialogue. There wasn't much of it in this chapter but that will change. The main reason I went light on it here was that I was supposed to be angry through a good portion of it. When I am angry or generally emotional, I tend get very quiet. As in practically silent until it passes. It's a habit I wish I had developed sooner. It would have saved me a lot of trouble if I had known to keep my mouth shut when I was younger. Lol

I'm posting this story in two places, here on and on One dude, Aluc4rd, here on fanfiction asked about Hanataro's brother Seinosuke Yamada and why I hadn't addressed him. The answer is that I fully plan to. He is going to be a major factor in the Yamada clan arc that I am planning. But he won't be quite that same as he was in canon. I am reworking a lot of Hanataro's background for this story and my version of Seinosuke is going to change to suit it. It was a good question and I hope you'll like how I handle it.

On spacebattles a couple people, Ghostking666 and Khepri14, mentioned that my explanation of Ichigo's zanpakuto changing was off. Y'all are mostly right. There is one incident however where Ichigo's zanpakuto changed and it had nothing to do with his being a hybrid. Or if it was, they did not make that clear. After Ichigo got his power's back in the fullbringer arc Zangetsu's form had completely changed. It couldn't have been because of his fullbringer powers because Kugo Ginjo took them.

Regardless, great catch guys. Anyways, the explanation that I gave in the first chapter is the justification for changes I plan to make in the story. The first of such changes is in this following chapter.

Thanks for y'alls time. Peace.

Chapter 2 Hisagomaru

As I touched the blade the room around me disappeared. I found myself in an entirely new world. Hanataro's or rather now my inner world. In every direction as far as the eye can see the world was filled with springs and over hanging trees. The springs flowed with almost emerald green water. They seemed cold now. In Hanataro's memories the springs were bubbling and hot, with billowing waves of steam coming off of them. But now they seem dead, cold and lifeless. The trees were strong and tall bearing a beautiful white bark. In Hanataro's memories they sprouted deep green leaves, vibrant with life. But now they were dry and orange as if they were becoming dormant with a change of season. Many of the leaves had fallen out littering the ground and coating the spring waters.

_"Finally." _

Turning to the voice I saw him. Hisagomaru. He stood by a large pool, drawn blade already resting in his hands. He's a small white robot. He was almost cute with his small metallic limbs and oversized head. I would have thought him cute if it weren't for the menacing aura that was practically flowing out of him. One of his eyes, the small one, was glowing bright red while his other one extended down his face looked like an empty bar. If recall correctly that bar will fill with red energy as he absorbs damage. Damage that he could then use at will.

His tiny mouth was set in a firm line. Neither smiling nor frowning. Leaving no indication of his current mood. Well no indication beyond the naked blade in his hands and the threatening stance he had taken.

You know… Maybe having him bitch at me wasn't so bad. I could just go back to losing myself in my thoughts and let him tucker himself out verbally abusing me. I mean how am I even supposed to face him. His white metal frame, as petite as it looks, doesn't look like something I can damage. Even if I manage to do so I'm just setting myself up to have it all turned back on me.

This was a horrible idea. _"Did you not just claim that you were prepared to face me? Yet the first strike hasn't even been swung and you are already wavering again. I am disappointed." _

_"Let's get your distractions out of the way first, then shall we? Yes, this inner world has changed. No, it's not because you are someone other than Yamada Hanataro. After all there is no one else you could be." _"You have been responding to my thoughts. Speaking of my memories. There is no way you haven't noticed that I am not Hanataro."

_"Do you truly believe that - - and Yamada Hanataro are the only names you have ever born? You have been any number of men and women throughout history. Just because the name you bare and your memories have changed doesn't mean your soul has. You are an eternal soul. Regardless of name and time you are you." _

_"You have merely awakened memories from an alternate lifetime. Granted it is odd that one lifetime was familiar with the other through an entertainment series. But doesn't that just make your soul all that more special?" _

"C'mon, be real. If me and Hanataro aren't separate people, then how can you explain the changes to his inner world? The leaves in the trees have changed the colors, the springs have gone cold. Isn't that a sign that I've supplanted him? That his soul is withering in the face of my arrival?"

_"So, you did notice the changes after all. No, the changing of the leaves, the cooling of the springs, they are not a sign of damage that your awakening has caused. Predominantly because your awakening has caused no damage." _

"Bullshit. How else would you explain it? This is someone's soul. Things aren't changing for no damned reason. They are changing because I trespassed in a place that doesn't belong to me. Whether I meant to or not, that's what happened."

_"Don't misunderstand me. The changes are most certainly your fault. But they are not because you trespassed. How can one trespass into their own soul?" _

"Then what is it? How is it my fault but not because of my being here?" '_If the zanpakuto wanted to believe that I belonged here so badly, I am going to damn well let him.'_

"_The inner world is being affected by your mentality. Not your presence. Your fear is cooling the waters of the springs. Your hesitation is causing the withering in the leaves. The weakness of your heart is being given physical form." _

For the first time I saw an expression on his metallic face. His mouth and right eye drooped low, and his shoulders sagged. Weariness. Even on a robot I can recognize it. I've seen it in the mirror enough times.

"_When you are at your best this place is beautiful. The trees lush and vibrant with life. The springs heated to a perfect temperature. Both just waiting for you to return here and rest your mind. It is why this place is accessible through meditation. A soul reaper is supposed to find peace in their inner world." _

"I didn't meditate to get here. I was here the second I touched your blade." "_Yes, I drew you here directly. I didn't feel like there was anything to gain by allowing you to procrastinate under the guise of 'learning to mediate'. There is no telling how much time you would have wasted if I gave you another excuse to avoid this." _

"You talk a lot of shit for a glorified Tin-man. At least the original one sang songs." _"I am a zanpakuto spirit. I do not sing, I cut things. As a matter of fact, the more you open your mouth the more cutable you look." _"Dick."

_"As I was saying, this is supposed to be a place of peace. But you are not at peace. How can this place be in the state in which it belongs when your mind is not? Find your resolve. Grow out of your weakness. Draw your blade and face me."_

"Can you blame me for being afraid? I could die here." "_Do not lie to me. You are not afraid of death. Perhaps of the pain that comes with it, but not of death itself. No what you fear is failure. You have let this fear cripple you time and again Hanataro-kun." _

_"You let it keep you from achieving your potential for years. But I will stand it no more. If you will not face your fear of your own accord, then I will force you too." _"I did face it. I already moved on with my life."

"_And yet here you are again falling prey to it. How far will you let it go this time? Will a day come when you draw me only to hold me over your chest, wavering on whether or not to end your own life? Just like how you used to put that gun to your own head?_

"What the fuck do you know about that! Just because you've seen my memories you think you understand me or what I went through? You want a fight you little shit well you've got one now!" I shouted while drawing the sword at my side.

_"I am your zanpakuto spirit. A reflection of your soul. I understand what you endured even better than you do. I understand it not as the one experiencing it but as the forced spectator."_

_"I exist to protect you and yet I was made to view your weakest moments with no means to aid you. No voice to offer you words of encouragement. No arms with which to hold you up when you fell. No feet with which to stand beside you when you stood alone. I will not allow you to return to that state. Even if I have to drag you away from it kicking and screaming." _

With not another word Hisagomaru vanished from my sight and reappeared before me already swinging his blade with one hand. I recognized the technique. "_Shunpo." _

I barely managed to get my blade up in time to block his strike. The power behind it contrasted his small stature. It nearly caused my knees to buckle. I let the force of it lower my sword and then struck out at his face using the pommel. He caught the pommel in his free hand and swung out with his right leg, catching me in the ribs. His metal foot felt like a sledgehammer.

I reared back coughing. Trying not to be taken out within seconds of the fight beginning, I stepped even further back and straightened my stance. I then raised my sword and cried out "Nagare." I swung my sword and during its arc I let the handle slip forward in my grip until I was holding the pommel only by my middle finger, index finger, and thumb.

He swiped the flat side of his blade at my strike and knocked the sword clean out of my hands.

_"Did you truly think that using a technique that you've only ever seen in an anime would work on me?" _"It was worth a shot."

He didn't seem to like that answer as his demeanor became aggressive and he said, "_If you won't take this seriously then I will have to force your hand." _No sooner had he finished his sentence before his sword transformed.

I barely got a look at it before I found it buried in my chest. I started to scream but was swiftly silenced as he jumped up and kicked me with both feet. Launching me back and freeing his sword.

The pain was unbearable but with the air driven out of me I couldn't even cry out. He kicked my sword back towards my prone form and said, _"The wound was sealed before you even hit the ground. Take your blade and stand up." _"It hurts." I finally managed with a gasp.

_"That amount of pain is trivial in comparison to what you will face if you do not gather your resolve and fight like your life depends on it. A true enemy would not have allowed you to heal from a blow like that." _

I floundered on the ground trying to find my strength. Apparently too long for his liking because before I could rise, he said _"Very well then. I will force you up." _

Before I could process his words, he drew his sword back and swung it in my direction while shouting _"Akeiro Hisagomaru!"_Apparently having the fear of god put into me was enough to get me moving again as I grabbed my sword and leapt away with all the speed I could muster.

While I evaded the attack itself, I wasn't fast enough to escape its effects and found myself blasted further away by the concussive force it had generated.

I've been chewed out, stabbed, fucking drop kicked, and almost blasted out of existence. I am done. I'm fucking mad. I made my way back to my feet and glared at Hisagomaru. The little shit was just standing there nonchalantly as if he hadn't just tried to obliterate me.

"Fuck you, you little cunt!" I shouted at him before charging straight towards him. I was seeing red. When I got into range, I began swinging wildly at him. Whatever sword technique I had inherited from Hanataro went right out the window.

He dodged my first several swings and finally blocked my blade and used it to lock us both in place. Blades clashing, I tried to use my slightly large size to put pressure on him. He was completely unfazed and took the opportunity to say, "_Isn't it a little hypocritical to make comments on someone else's height when you consider how short you are?" _

I took my right hand off of my sword hilt and swung it into his stupid shit-talking face. It hurt like a bitch, but god was it satisfying to finally hit him. However, he was completely unfazed. The power bar on his face partially filled with red energy and he used my slackened grip to force my guard upwards leaving my lower body exposed. He took advantage of the opening by withdrawing his blade from mine faster than I could react and plunging it into my thigh.

Over my cry of pain, I could hear him say "_Akeiro Denpa."_ I swung my sword downwards striking his shoulder. The blow forced him away from me and I used the distance to try and recover my footing.

Looking down at the wound in my thigh I found a red mist permeating from and around it. The pain from it was growing. Almost as if it was spreading. I looked up at him and asked "What the hell is this? What did you do?"

He placed his hand on the back of his blade, healing the damage my strike had done and partially refilling his energy bar. He looked back at me and said "_Did you really think that unleashing the damage I collect in one large blast was the limit of my abilities? If you had merely been willing to explore our power, you would have seen that we are capable of so much more Hanataro-kun." _

_"Instead you saw my ability to remove damage and thought it just another sign that you only had the capacity to be a healer. Utterly ridiculous. A zanpakuto being reduced to a medical implement." _"Stop avoiding my question! What did you do? The pain is spreading through my leg and the mist is getting more potent."

"_I merely used one of our many abilities. Akeiro Denpa. Instead of releasing all of the damage in a blast I released a small portion of it into the stab wound. It burns doesn't it? If you don't beat me soon the mist will keep spreading. Burning you from the inside out." _

I was shocked. It had never occurred to me or even Hanataro that Hisagomaru was capable of something like that. "_If he's capable of an attack like that then what else can he do? What all is he capable of?" _

I scrutinized him, sizing him up for the best way to attack. He stood underneath a tree, one hand holding his sword and the other still touching the back of it from when he had healed himself. It was then that I noticed it, his blade is completely different from Hanataro's memories of it.

In Hanataro's memories Hisagomaru is a basic but edgeless katana with an energy bar in its middle. When the energy bar is filled Hanataro would call out Hisagomaru's release phrase. Turning it from an edgeless katana into a scalpel that could release the gathered damage into a powerful blast attack. But Hisagomaru never changed his blade into a scalpel at all and was still able to use Akeiro Hisagomaru against me.

The blade seems to have taken a completely new from. It looked less like a katana and more like someone had tried to create a double edged wakizashi. The only thing about the weapon that remained the same was the energy bar in the middle of it. Even that was larger than Hanataro remembered. The sword had a small circular guard and a wooden handle. The back side of blade that his hand was resting on looked like it had been honed to an edge but seemed like it lacked any ability to actually cut. The front side on the other hand… Well I had already felt how sharp it was.

_"So, you noticed the changes to my shikai form. This new form matches the new you far better than my old one did. Previously I took the form of an edgeless katana to heal and a scalpel to attack because you did not have the will to fight. What use is a full-sized blade to one who would not use it? But now, now you have the will to both fight and heal. With my new form we should be capable of both in equal measure."_

_"But that's enough talking. From the looks of that leg, you really don't have the time for it." _

I knew he was right. The injury in my leg is only getting worse. But that's fine, during the lull in combat I had found a way to win. I made a plan based upon one fact about Hisagomaru that wouldn't change no matter how much his form did.

Hisagomaru has a limit to how much damage he can absorb anytime his form is released. It's why Hanataro could never go around healing everyone with impunity. Between the amount of damage he absorbed stabbing me in the chest and from dealing with his own wounds, he should be nearing his limit. If I can outlast his limit, then I might have a chance at winning.

"_During the last exchange, you initiated. So, I believe that now is my turn. I will show you another way in which my abilities can be used." _Hisagomaru raised his blade into the air, intoned "_Akeiro Hisagomaru"_, and began swiping his blade in my direction rapidly. With every swing a red beam of energy was launched in my direction. "Bring it asshole."

I reacted in a way I thought he would have never expected. I charged right into the volley. Dodging and blocking any hits I could and tanking any that I couldn't, I made my way towards him. When I got into range, I grasped the hilt of my sword in both hands and brought it down on him with all the force I could muster.

He blocked it just as easily as before. And like before I swung my left fist out towards his face. He leaned his head back to dodge it, but it didn't matter, I wasn't aiming for his face. I grabbed the back of his blade healing all my wounds and completely filling the energy bar on his sword.

He looked up at me, our swords still locked and said _"Clever, but that was a mistake. Akeiro Hisagomaru". _The full powered blast hit me at point black and launched me away. Everything fucking hurt but I knew I had succeeded because when I looked up his blade had returned to its sealed state.

I forced myself back up onto my feet and said "So that was your turn, right? Now it's mine." With a smug grin on my face I shouted "**Fulfill Hisagomaru!"**.


	3. Chapter 3: Hisagomaru Cont

Chapter 3: Hisagomaru Cont.

"**Fulfill Hisagomaru." **As my sword transformed, I felt power building up inside. A green glow had begun emanating from my body, pouring out of my wrists to coat my body and surroundings. My reiatsu. When the transformation finished it grew exponentially. Even beyond what it had been when the original released his version of shikai.

Probably a result of our melding, or as Hisagomaru would say "My awakening".

I grabbed the back of my blade and began absorbing my injuries. Within moments my wounds had vanished, and the energy bar in the center of my sword had filled up. The bar was bright red and ready to be used.

_"__So, you're finally willing to draw me. In any other situation I would be elated. But with that look in your eye I'm almost concerned. Almost." _"Don't worry I am about to give you every reason to be concerned."

I drew my sword back to my left side and used shunpo to appear behind him. But he was prepared. He was turning to face me before I had even finished the movement. I swiped my blade towards him and cried "Nagare…". As my sword grew closer to him, I allowed the pommel to slide in my hand until I was only holding it with my middle finger, index finger, and thumb.

I could already see him raising the flat side of his blade to disarm me again. But when my strike reached the middle of its arc, I finished my cry "Nagare Akeiro Hisagomaru". A bright red beam shot out of the tip of my sword. It burst forward right into Hisagomaru. At point blank range he had no way to evade the blast and it launched him away. He fell in a crumpled heap, landing in one of the larger springs.

The recoil pushed the pommel back until my fingers and palm were securely wrapped around it, just under the guard. It was ready to be used, and I was already moving to do just that.

I began to shunpo after Hisagomaru. I observed him while moving in. My attack had finally done real damage. He was sporting several dents and burn marks. His white metal frame scuffed and banged up. It was a start, but I had to finish this fight before he was able to unleash his shikai again.

If he released it again, we would be on equal standing and he had already proven that he could fight better than me. It would all but guarantee my loss and I couldn't stand for that.

He was still trying to get up by time I reached him. I kicked him in the chest knocking him back down into the water. Capitalizing, I stabbed downwards toward his head. He swung his blade up parrying my attack, forcing it to his left side. It created a chance for him to escape, one he took by rolling to his right and back onto his feet.

Still not willing let up I pushed towards him, locking our blades and trying to undo his footing with pure force. It was working. His knees were beginning to bend, the pressure I was applying weakening his stance. A result of the difference between the power of one wielding their shikai versus one without it.

Just before his stance failed, he lashed out, punching me in the gut. I ignored the pain and turned the force I was applying towards the left shoving his blade away from his body. I took advantage of the opening by removing my blade from the lock and swiping it to the right, across his open chest.

He disregarded the attack and responded by cutting into my left shoulder. I grabbed the back of my sword in my left hand, paying no head to the blade already going to work healing my wound, I used my new grip to shove my sword at him from the left.

He blocked but was unprepared when I switched the focus of my attack. Pushing forward on my pommel, still gripped in my right hand, I struck him in the face.

I pressed the attack using my grip to alternate attack directions. Swapping between slashing with the side of my sword gripped in my left hand and striking with the pommel in my right, I began to push him back.

I wasn't doing much damage, landing little scratches on one hand and light blunt hits on the other. But it didn't matter to me. I was finally able to fight back freely. With each strike I grew more confident, bolder. I began putting more force into every strike and finally putting my whole body into the attack I swung with my pommel. He had been waiting for that moment and ducked right under it. My strike swung wide, costing me my balance.

He stepped right getting behind my staggered form and lashed out. Cutting into the back of my legs. I cried out in pain and fell into that water. No sooner had I dropped then I felt him stab into my lower back. My scream of pain was muffled by hot water rushing into my mouth.

He pulled his sword out of my back and raised it to strike again. My grip on the back of my sword hadn't slacked during my fall and so my wounds sealed almost instantly. Refilling my energy bar.

I kicked out from my prone position hitting his leg and knocking him back down into the water. Forcing myself back to my feet I turned and saw that he had also regained his footing. But something had changed. His blade was no longer in its sealed form. His wounds were gone and the energy bars, both on his face and sword, were filled to the brim. Just like mine.

"How? You could never rerelease your shikai form that fast before." _"We are in your inner world. Why would the restraints of my physical form apply here?" _

I understood, it had been a ploy. He let me think that he was at his limit. He let me gain the upper hand. The only thing that I couldn't understand was why. He had nothing to gain from it. The only thing he got from allowing me to have the upper hand was the pain of every hit I landed.

But it didn't matter to me why he had done that. I already came this far, and I wasn't going to lose.

Without another word I rushed him. I raised my blade for the on coming clash and he raised his in turn. We both swung out at almost the exact same moment and just as our blades were about to meet, we shouted together "Akeiro Hisagomaru!"

The blasts connected blowing us both away, the force of it sending me rolling as I hit the ground. I never noticed my blade returning to its sealed state or the pain of my fall. I wasn't capable of noticing much of anything as I lost consciousness before I had even stopped rolling.

When I came to, I was leaning against the side of a spring. Up to my neck in hot water. I didn't open my eyes immediately, instead basking in the warmth. I couldn't recall the last time I had felt so comfortable.

The hot water felt like it was drawing out all my stress and strain. All of my pain was gone. Wait, pain? What was I in pain from? What was I doing again? You know what, it doesn't matter. I'm going to enjoy this and then figure out what's going on.

The water felt fantastic. There are only two things that could make this better. Number one being me having my girl here with me. And number two being me having my musical brick with me.

The musical brick is an orange and black speaker with great sound quality, a long battery life, and enough base to kick your ass. The best thing about it? If you have to throw it at someone's head not only is it durable enough to not break but it will fly with its own soundtrack. The ultimate speaker.

But seriously I would really love having it here with me. I could be blasting Kendrick Lamar's "Bitch, don't kill my vibe" right now. That song would be perfect for this. _"Indeed, that song would suit the current mood quite well." _

My eyes snapped back open. The memories of my fight with Hisagomaru rushing back with sound of his voice. I looked forward and found Hisagomaru in the same spring as me. He was leaning against the opposite side with a warm wet rag on his forehead.

He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, all of his previous wounds completely gone. Looking as if he hadn't just brutalized me a little while ago. To be fair I had returned the favor but that was besides the point. The point being, moral outrage! How dare he be so comfortable after all the shit he just put me through.

I jumped to my feet rushing at Hisagomaru. I didn't have my sword on me, or even my clothes, but that didn't matter I was going to beat the nuts out of the little shit. And I don't mean the hardware.

_"__Wait." _ I stopped in my tracks the water splashing around me. _"If you wish to continue our battle then I will gladly oblige you. But first I would ask you to look around." _ Keeping one eye on the robot I scanned my surroundings.

It was almost as if I had slept through an entire season. The trees had gone from being withered and bearing orange dead leaves to being strong. Adorned with lush with bright green leaves. The dead leaves littering the ground and pools had vanished. The springs had gone from being cold and lifeless to steaming and bubbling with energy. The steam they were giving off was billowing and flowing around the world like a comforting blanket.

_"__Oddly poetic. But you see why I asked you to wait. During our fight you released your fear and found your resolve. As a result, this world has returned to its rightful state. This was the point of our battle. Fixing your mentality by having you physically work out your insecurity was my goal." _

"So, you kicked my ass, blasted me to the moon, stabbed me three fucking times, and it was supposed to help me somehow?" _"Exactly."_ I sat back down and said "Wouldn't it have been easier to just convince me to meditate about it? It might have helped me avoid the whole, you know, triple fucking stabbing!"

_"__Consider it battle meditation. It worked well didn't it? How do you feel?" _"Battle meditation? That actually sounds pretty dope. To be honest, I feel really good. I guess physical activity has always been good for me when I was worked up. But seriously, you could have taken it a bit easier. We could have just had a simple spar and talked it out. That went way to far."

_"__Your fine, you dealt with everything I threw at you and have no lasting wounds to show for it. And to be honest, I had a bit of venting to do myself. You spent decades barely acknowledging my existence. Then you have your awakening bringing with it a knowledge of frankly terrifying threats. From the genius Sosuke Aizen, to Yhwach, and even Baraggan a monster who could decay your flesh with barely a touch. Yet despite all of these very real threats you chose to direct you fear at me." _

_"__I am your zanpakuto spirit. I gave you my name before you were ready for it in hopes that it would give you the confidence to improve. I have quietly stood beside you in solidarity through all of your troubles. If you chose to wage war on the rest of the world, I would fight beside you with everything I have. But yet you chose to direct your fear towards me as I was the most convenient target." _

_"__You didn't trust me, and I didn't handle it well." _"Hisa… I am sorry, your right. I pushed my fear and insecurities on you. I was shocked by my new situation and you were the closest target for my feelings."

"I" -SMACK A wet rag slapped into my face. _"I just put a lot of effort into warming this spring water and you're making it cold again. Don't ruin this bath for me. Afterall, there is no point in being sad over it now. We have addressed the problem and need to move forward. Dwelling on it will do neither of us any good." _

Pulling the rag from my face I smiled at him and said. "You know you're a dick, right?" _"I am your zanpakuto. A reflection of you and who you are. So, yes I suppose _'a dick' _would be a good way to describe me."_

"Ha, you took the hit for the sake of the greater burn. I can respect that robot boy. HEY! Speaking of robot boy, I used to love that show when I was a kid. You have access to my memories, right? What do you think of it?" _"You assume that because I take the form of a small robot that I would have an interest in a series about a robot boy?" _"Yuuup"

_"__Well if I had to give an opinion, I would say that it is amusing. If highly racist and offensive." _"Racist? What about that show was racist?" _"It had a Japanese character literally named Kamikazi." _"Okay fair enough. That is pretty messed up. But that is also what made those old shows great." _"Casual racism?" _"No. I mean the fact that they could get away with so much."

"Take the looney tunes for example. They had a massive number of politically incorrect jokes and nude pictures in the background of episodes." _"Ah, the beginning of your pornography addiction." _"Hey! That started with illustrations on Wikipedia."

"Anyways, another great example of that was 'Hey! Arnold'. That show was a goldmine. I remember during one episode while Helga was reciting a poem, she had some line about Arnold making her 'girlhood quiver'. And Big Bob was always going on about 'mother scratcher' this and 'mother humper that'. It was freaking amazing." _"That is horrible." _"Right? It was the best." I said with a laugh.

"So out of the shows you've seen in my memories which one is your favorite?" _"Well, if I had to pick one, I would say that the Dragon Ball Z series was quite entertaining." _"That show was awesome. Me, my older brother, and my dad loved that show."

_"__The power that the characters demonstrated was incredible. The ability to blow up an entire world with one blast is just phenomenal. _ _I can only hope that one day my Akeiro Hisagomaru attack will have that kind of power." _"So, you're a blast maniac. Good to know."

_"__I would not say maniac, but I do have a level of appreciation for blast attacks yes. Speaking of which the Kamehameha was especially fantastic. During your monologue-"_ "I was not monologuing." _"Not only were you monologuing, your monologue was more generic than a DC villain's." _"Okay that one kinda hurt."

_"__As I was saying before I was needlessly interrupted. During your MONOLOGUE, you mentioned recreating techniques from other series correct?" _"Yeah, there are a lot of techniques that could be useful to us."

_"__Yes, and I think that the Kamehameha would be a great place to start." _"Nah, with Akeiro Hisagomaru we already have a powerful blast attack. And with the Akeiro Hisagomaru attack I don't have to use my hands. Meaning I can keep my sword at the ready to attack or defend as need be."

_"__I disagree I feel that the Kamehameha would be a great attack to have access to." _"You're just saying that because you think its cool." _"Irrelevant." _"Irrelevant my ass. I was thinking more a long the lines of something like the Hadoken. I could probably make it work onehanded and it would be a lot easier to throw in the middle of a fight then a kido technique." _"Interesting, but I still feel that the Kamehameha would be more useful." _ "Nope, already decided."

"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you something. If you could have kept your shikai going during the fight why did you re-seal it? Why let me have the upper hand?" _"I wanted you to experience the thrill of combat." _"Thrill of combat? What do you mean?"

_"__I wanted you to feel what it was like to fight unencumbered by fear or hesitation. I thought that allowing you take the upper hand would encourage you fight freely. And it worked perfectly. I could not have formed if you did not have a warrior's spirit somewhere inside of you and you finally showed it. Come the tail end of our battle you put your all into fighting me." _

_"__Even when I re-released my shikai you fought on. In the past if the odds had been so blatantly against you, if you had known that you had been deceived, you would have given up hope. You would have abandoned all thoughts of victory. But instead you chose to face the adversity head on." _

_"__I am honestly quite proud of how far you've come today. You have improved by leaps and bounds. Congratulations, Hanataro." _ "Even when you were upset with me, for good reason at that, you still thought of how to help me during our fight. Thanks, Hisa." _"I am a part of you. No matter my feelings, I will always aid you." _

_"__However, right now we need to focus. Specifically, on what you are going to do. Your current plans are superficial at best." _"True." _"We should begin with your training. Your swordsmanship is going to need to be our focal point." _

"Yeah, if I can't hold my own wielding you then I'm pretty much screwed. I was planning to start with my left-over academy books." _"There will be no need. The academy techniques are good. Captain-Commander Yamamoto developed them himself. Nevertheless, they are too well known. They are the bases for every soul-reaper's sword style. They won't work against the likes of Aizen and Yhwach. Instead, I will teach you personally how to wield me." _

_"__I know the best way to for my blade to be wielded and I will teach you how to do so." _"Sounds good, boss. When should we get started?" _"Right now. Get ready and we will begin." _He pointed towards the side of the spring where I saw my zapakuto laying on top of my reaper's shihakusho. __

I dried off and got dressed, placing my zanpakuto at my side. _"Ready?" _I turned to Hisagomaru grabbing my sheath in my left hand and my pommel in the right. "Ready to go when you are."

_"__Then let us begin." _

_Yamada Clan Compound_

Akira Yamada is a large man. Standing at 6'10 he is the tallest member of the Yamada clan. He has broad shoulders and an almost excessively muscular form. His long black hair is generally pulled into a neat topknot, which is contrasted by the unruly full beard he sports. His face bares an almost constant scowl. All of these factors make him a rather intimidating figure. An intimidating figure currently stalking through the halls of the Yamada Compound, looking for one Hanataro Yamada.

Despite his appearance Akira is one of major pillars of the Yamada clan. He is the clan's primary disciplinarian and as the 15th seat of the 11th division he has the strength to back up any discipline he dishes out.

His position in the 11th division garners a lot of respect. Within the twenty-two soul-reapers of the clan he is one of only three seated officers. He makes use of this respect frequently in his self-appointed position as the clan's disciplinarian.

While he understands that the position is one of his own making and that the real power is held by the clan leader Sanosuke, his uncles, and their grandmother, he feels that his disciplinary duties are of benefit to the clan. For example, the clinic is short handed because Hanataro has not shown up to complete his rounds and Akira feels that the best way to help is to hunt down the truant kid, set him straight, and then put him to work.

"_That brat is getting lazy_." He thought to himself while stomping through the halls towards Hanataro's room. _"Uncle Haruto and Aunty Chikako must be rolling in their graves. Two sons, one wayward and the other incompetent. They deserved better. I can't do much about your eldest, but I'll set your youngest straight even if it kills me."_

Finally coming to the door of Hanataro's room he slammed it open. He had expected to hear Hanataro squeak in fear just like every other time he had come looking for him. But Hanataro was unresponsive.

He was sitting in the center of his room, dressed in a sleeping kimono, zanpakuto laying across his lap. Apparently deep in jinzen. "Brat, do you think that half-assed training is going to get you out of your work? Get up!" Despite Akira's shouting Hanataro's form didn't move. Akira strode forward into the room, looming over Hanataro's figure. He raised his right fist and with a *smack* brought it down on Hanataro's head.

He was expecting Hanataro to cry out in pain and then again in fear at his presence. Instead Hanataro released a muffled grunt at the pain and leapt to his feet. Drawing his sword and taking a ready stance Hanataro recognized his assaulter and shouted "Akira?! What the hell man! You scared the shit out of me." Akira having jumped back and gripped the pommel of his own zanpakuto in response to having a blade drawn on him and shouted back "I scared you?! Who the hell do you think your drawing on?! First your late for work in the clinic and now your raising your sword to me?"

"Shit. I'm sorry man." Hanataro said sheathing his zanpakuto. "I lost track of time. I'll make up for it, boss." Akira was surprised, usually Hanataro would have freaked out at a confrontation like this. But at least he acknowledged his mistake and apologized instead of making excuses. "Whatever brat. Hurry up and get ready. Since you apologized, I'll let this go with that hit and by docking your pay for today's work."

"Alright, that doesn't sound to bad. Just let me get dressed and I'll be right with you." "Hurry up you're late enough as it is already."

With his peace said Akira stepped back outside of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Leaning back against the door he tried to settle his heart-rate and thought _"Seriously, who immediately goes for a sword in their own home. Dumbass."_

Notes and thoughts.

So, this chapter took a while. Mainly because this was the third version of it that I wrote. And despite three tries at it I'm still not happy with it. The transition from Hisagomaru and me/Hanataro fighting to chilling was unrealistically smooth. But I just couldn't find a way to do it that I was happy with. So, in the end I decided to just run with it this way and plan to fix it during the rewrite later down the line.

This chapter I introduced the first major character of the clan arc. Akira, a dude who's a little rough around the edges but well-meaning none the less. I know, generic as hell. But it suits what I am going for and I can always develop him further.

The next chapter will build on what's known about the Yamada clan. Everything from their work to who some of their key members are will be covered. It will also include the beginning of my/Hanataro's new relationship with the clan and its members.

Anyways, thanks for reading and for your comments.

Have a good one. Peace.


End file.
